en treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. we end as always with "end point." who wants to start, mr. martin in. >> i hate most of these reality shows because i find them despicable, the yelling going back and forth is ridiculous and how they portray folks. i am somebody, all you actors in hollywood i am your biggest fan. give me scripted shows, please, "good wife" "scandal" but please give me a scripted show not the madness. >> some reality shows are very entertaining, you cannot let your children watch because they're completely inappropriate. will cain? >> i lost my mike and battery. >> way to go, will. >> i'll give you mine. >> hurry up, dude, we don't have

much time. >> i will point out in the spirit of self-awareness roland was pointing out the fighting on tv, this comes from a pundit, not a personal statement, pundits do a lot of yelling on tv. we should be aware what have we do for a living. >> tomorrow on "starting point" -- >> give me a butter knife. >> celebrates 25 years of "fan kohl" we'll have the stars of "phantom of the opera" on the show tomorrow. "cnn newsroom" with carol costello begins right now. standoff, a champion of gun control unveils sweeping new vision that could impact and outrage millions of americans. women will finally get to serve in combat areas but not right away. above the world and well below zero, you think it's cold where you are? the researchers at this observatory say they have the world's worst weather. and soon it will be hard to find a large soda in new york city, but now there's a new argument to keep those giant

drinks around. "newsroom" starts now. good morning, i'm carol costello, thank you so much for being with us, and in just a couple of hours a strict, new gun control plan will be unveiled and brace for a loud outcry from millions of gun owners and their ultrapowerful lobbying group the nra. the latest push coming from senator dianne feinstein, the california democrat who authored the nation's original ban on assault weapons in the 1990s, but this ban would reportedly be much more strict. it would trap current gun owners and outlaw the future sale of some handguns and shotguns. joe johns joins us from washington, i understand that senator feinstein will show up holding a bushmaster. >> reporter: we don't know if she'll be holding it but we know she is going to have some weapons present that would be banned under her proposal, that

would include bushmaster, as you know, they're fairly well-known, a bushmaster was we believe used by the shooter in newtown, connecticut. now, we know the broad outlines of what feinstein is likely to promow propose. it's been public for weeks. we look for detail, we expect a revised ban on the so-called military style assault weapons led to believe that means banning the sale, transfer, importation or manufacturing of about 150 firearms, some rifles, even possibly handguns, shotguns, fitted with for example detachable magazines and having at least one characteristic that the creators of this proposal see as making it suitable for military use. the issue is what qualifies as an assault weapon. gun rights advocates say feinstein would ban characteristics that are aesthetic or cosmetic. the important question is whether any proposal can get

through the republican-controlled house, that's a tough order. >> the nra has been fighting this and the fight is i guess only going to get more try dent. >> i think so. the nra is against any type of assault weapons ban. they say it wasn't effected in 1994 when it was put into effect and puts dangerous weapons into the hands of criminals who essentially don't follow the law, something else that could be part of this legislation is creating a registry for any weapons that were obtained before this ban goes in place, and a speech this week one of the nra's eleader's's wayne lapierre says that was totally unacceptable to the nra. >> dianne feinstein's conference is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. eastern, about two hours from now. the military is making a major change, for the first time in history women will be allowed to serve on the front lines but don't expect to see changes

right away. pentagon correspondent chris lawrence tells us why. >> reporter: army infantry, marine recon, even special ops, on thursday, they all opened to women for the first time. the pentagon is eliminating its ban on women in combat, but there's a catch. did you know today's army would be so different than the one you joined? >> no. >> reporter: staff sergeant kelly rodriguez deployed three times to iraq and afghanistan and became one of the first female combat medics to work directly with special operations forces. >> it worked out because in future deployments that unit has taken several females to do that mission. >> reporter: in recent years the navy opened subamarine duty to women and the marines female engagement teams walked foot patrols with combat units. but there's a catch to opening the infantry. all jobs won't open immediately, and the pentagon left itself some wiggle room. sources say the services have to

assess each job and unit to see if and when it'd be feasible for women to be integrated without losing combat readiness. senior defense official says certain special ops or infantry units may ask the secretary for an exemption to the rule, and congress will have to be notified of each job that opens up before it takes effect. it's a stark contrast to how the pentagon ended the exclusion of gays serving openly or don't ask, don't tell. there was no staggered approach that integrated openly gay troops. defense official told cnn it's the difference between personal behavior and physical ability. he said gay troops were already in units whereas women will be going into some for the first time. but many in uniform and on capitol hill say females on the front lines will hurt not help the military. >> to have women serving in infantry, though, could impair

the mission essential tasks of those units and that's been proven in study after study, just from a matter of i mean it's nature, upper body strength and physical movements and speed and endurance and so forth. >> sources say leon panetta has set a deadline. he wants the assessment completed and women integrated as much as possible by january 2016 but panetta is on his way out the door. this is one of his last acts as secretary. sources tell me the man nominated to replace him, chuck hagel, has been briefed on these changes but so far, hagel has not made any public statements one way or the other. chris lawrence, cnn, the pentagon. the big story for most of us is just how cold it is and it's not going to get warmer until this weekend, so far three deaths have been reported in minnesota, wisconsin and illinois, and in north dakota, winds and snow created whiteout conditions. in washington, d.c., federal offices are open today but with

an inch of snow expected, federal workers have the option of staying home to avoid the mess. in upstate new york, it's the big dig-out with more snow on the way, a band of lake-effect snow stretching 150 miles, it's going to bring more and more snow to cities that have already seen up to two feet of the stuff and this bitter cold means, of course, broken pipes. >> very busy, no heat calls mostly today, we got a church in the center with no heat and we've got to do that and a couple of frozen water lines, that's it so far. >> that's it so far. in maryland a cell tower worker had to be rescued because of the cold. he was 180 feet up, his legs started cramping and hands went numb. somehow he managed to call 911 and a co-worker scaled the tower, got him to a guideline and was able to rappel down with him. wow! in vermont these strange mounds are popping up everywhere, they look like giant cinnamon rolls

but they're called snow rollers, formed as strong wins roll across wet snow as it's nearing the melting point. one of the coldest places on the plan set new hampshire's mt. washington observatory. at the summit this morning it is a brisk 23 degrees below zero, with a 64-mile-per-hour wind, making the windchill 67 degrees below zero. for researchers it's a point of pride. they've actually trademarked it as "the world's worst weather." i'm joined by brian fitzgerald. hi, brian >> good morning. >> i hope you're inside. oh, you are inside. i can see you now. >> staying inside as much as possible. >> what does that kind of weather feel like? i can't imagine that. >> the best way i've heard it described is think of yourself diving into a very, very cold pool of water. >> and just staying submerged for a while? >> yeah, it doesn't matter how well you're covered up.

the air finds a way in no matter what, so you're going to feel the cold one way or another. >> so what do you do for fun when it's 63 degrees below zero or feels like it in. >> mostly indoor activities, though there is a lot of work that goes on outside as well, we're constantly deicing our instruments up here, and if it warms up a bit, yeah, we can do a little bit of hiking, maybe a little skiing but not on a day like today. >> no kidding. you're a weather expert, that's why you're there. i just wondered for example in chicago just a couple of days ago it was 47 degrees and the very next day it plunged to 28 degrees and it's only gotten worse from there. why is this happening? >> well, along with chicago right here in new hampshire, we kind of live along a zone where we get influences both arctic air and then also some very warm tropical air, so up here, we actually broke our all-time monthly record for january just two weeks ago at 48 degrees, and here we are and we were minus 35

yesterday so that's the influence of arctic air coming down from canada whereas just two weeks ago it was lots of tropical moisture coming up from the gulf and elsewhere. >> last year was sort of a year of weather extremes. should we expect this kind of thing for 2013, where it's warm for a spell and then it gets frigidly cold? >> that seems to be the trend. up here we focus a lot more on current conditions and short term forecasting, but certainly it's very possible. last year was certainly a wild year and the past decade has been as well. >> thank you, brian, for joining us this morning and stay warm. i guess you're used to it. >> a little bit, although it's still pretty cold. >> thank you so much. >> take care. from the world's worst weather to a tropical paradise, don't you wish you were in aruba right now? we just had to show you this picture after showing you one of the coldest places in america. the temperature in aruba is

supposed to hit 85 degrees today. let's just look at that for a minute. ahh. okay. we have to move on into reality now, sorry. the girlfriend was fake, the heartbreak was real, that's what manti te'o is saying as he begins his very public campaign to repair his image and future career in the nfl. the notre dame star says he was a victim of a hoax but admits he continued with the story of his girlfriend dying even after learning she never actually existed. >> my story, i felt, was a guy who in times of hardship and in times of trial really held strong to his faith, held strong to his family and i felt that that was my story. >> even if that hardship was perhaps exaggerated? >> no, it was what i went through was real, you know, the feelings, the pain, the sorrow, that was all real. >> cnn's george howell is here with more of what te'o is

expected to say later today. >> this is interesting, isn't it? >> it is. it's like a train wreck and you can't stop watching it. >> so many twists and turns, so many different characters. so here's what we've got. it's confusing but here's what we've got, a relationship between two people online who basically never met. te'o insists he had every reason to believe that his girlfriend was real but in september, he got some information, led to believe his girlfriend died of cancer. carol, fast forward to december, this is just before the heisman trophy ceremony, two days before that he got a call from someone, claiming to be the girlfriend, maybe i don't know if it was a woman, maybe a man, speaking in a woman's voice, who knows, but basically saying that she was alive, but at the same time when te'o faced the press that day, he said that his girlfriend was dead, and katie couric asked him about that. take a listen. >> you stuck to the script. >> um-hum. >> and you knew that something

was amiss. >> um-hum. >> manti? >> correct. >> why? >> well, if anybody puts yourself in my situation, katie, put yourself in my situation, this girl who i committed myself to died on september 12th. now i get a phone call on december 6th saying that she's alive and that i'm going to be put on national tv two days later, and to ask me about the same question, you know, what would you do? >> now, carol, there was never a lennay kekua, it was a fake online i.d. so that's the first thing, and te'o insists he had nothing to do with the hoax but katie couric asked him for proof this was a longstanding relationship and he did show her phone records and even gave some insight into what they would talk about, one of their most recent conversations. let's listen. >> she came out of her coma when she was on the phone with you, the phone was next to her. >> um-hum. >> what did you hear on the

other end of the line? >> obviously it was just breathing at first, and it was one of those where, you know, she was just breathing and then she started to kind of whisper my name, and i jumped for joy. i was like, she's out! >> so it will be very interesting to see what he has to say today. was he duped here? was he a victim of this internet phenomenon called catfishing, you know, where you create an online fake i.d. and people believe it. we'll hear more from him to get his insight, his explanation of what happened here. >> so bizarre. >> it's interesting. >> yeah, it is interesting. george howell, thanks so much. we're also hearing from the so-called dead girlfriend, the woman whose photo was used to create the fake online identity. diane o'meara says she wasn't in on the hoax and never met manti te'o but heard the acquaintance te'o blames for the ruse.

she said he called and apologized to her. >> he reached out to me a day or two days before the story broke and relaid to me that he, in fact, was stalking my profile for five years, taking my photos and he created -- >> five years he was doing this in. >> he created this identity that was not me. it was this lennay kekua with my face on it. >> o'meara said she heard from a number of women with similar stories, they say their images were stolen to create fake online identities. and there is new fallout from lance armstrong's doping admission to oprah, two california men have filed a class action lawsuit against armstrong and his publisher's alleging fraud. they bought armstrong's books "it's not about the bike" and "every seconds counts" based on a false belief the rider's claims in those books were true. we know armstrong doped during all seven tour de france wins.

author james frey was successfully sued by readers in his memoir "a million little pieces" in 2007. the family of the late junior seau is suing the nfl saying his suicide was the result of the brain disease triggered by the violent hits he took touring his 20-year career. the suit accuses the nfl and helmetmaker riddell, incorporated, of wrongful death. there's a new argument in new york about the big sugary drinks and whether they should be made available to everyone and it's not because of your health. ...so as you can see, geico's customer satisfaction is at 97%. mmmm tasty. and cut! very good. people are always asking me how we make these geico adverts. so we're taking you behind the scenes. this coffee cup, for example, is computer animated. it's not real.

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18 minutes past the hour. the new york police department is being sued by a woman wounded by officers during a shooting outside the empire state building back in august. police fired several shots to kill a man outside the skyscraper, and some of those bullets ricochetted, hitting several bystanders. the woman's attorney says the officers were not properly trained for that type of situation. beyonce did not sing live, that's what an inauguration official is telling cnn. the pop star's come under criticism for her rendition of the national anthem during president obama's inauguration. the inaugural official says it was beyonce's decision because she arrived late sunday night and didn't have time to rehearsay with the u.s. marine corps band. beyonce has yet to talk about her performance. the naacp and hispanic organization are fighting new york city's ban on large sugary

drinks saying it's unfair to small minority owned businesses. they claim larger competitors like 7-eleven and grocery stores get a pass because they're regulated by new york state and not the city and not exempted from the law. the ban due to go in effect in march. to technology now the battle for smartphone dominance is heating up. new report says samsung could release the latest version of its popular galaxy phone this march. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange so is apple shaking? because we know what its earnings report was. >> apple is kind of quivering a little bit this morning. i tell you what that iphone 5 is going to back so passe, carol. get ready for the smartphone wars, they heat up this spring. there are reports samsung is going to be unveiling the galaxy s4 in late march, early april and the latest apple rumor is that the next version of the iphone could hit the street as early as june, either called the iphone 6 or iphone 5k.

blackberry 10 coming out next week, expected to shake up the smartphone sales to businesses. the competition is getting fierce while apple is only getting a small piece of the smartphone pie. screen size is really going to become a key battleground on the consumer front. the gallon ax i-s4 will have a bigger screen on the s3 and apple could go for a bigger screen. possible explanation for why apple cut the number of screen orders for the iphone 5 so there are a lot of rumors out there but sometimes where there's smoke there's fire. carol? >> just be strange that apple is following someone else with its technology ideas. let's talk about apple just a little bit longer. it's trading lower after record profits. why aren't investors happy in. >> talk about the share price, we're ten minutes before the opening bell, get ready for apple to tumble 10%, when the bell rings. that's despite apple reporting record profits and selling 48 million iphones in the latest quarter, more than half a

million iphones sold every single day, in october, in november, and december combined, but you look at those shares, already down close to 30% since september's record high so yeah, what the heck is going on with the stock? part of it is the old mantra, buy low and sell high and for many investors they bought shares when they were lower and wanted to take a profit before the higher capital gains taxes kicked in this year. other investors are clearly choosing to exit now competition heating up so it's really becoming a huge factor. there are a lot of quality alternatives out there. you look at the tablet and smartphone arena, carol, it's getting crowded but they still sold 48 million iphones and almost 23 million ipads in the latest quarter. apple sold 12.6 million ipods so keep the finger off the panic button, let's not get too crazy just yet. >> that's wall street, isn't it? panic, panic panic, then don't. thanks so much, alison. fighting words from house

speaker john boehner he says president obama is out to annihilate the republican party. do you agree? that's our talk back question today. [ wind howls ] [ dog barks ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] something powerful is coming. ♪ see it on february 3rd. ♪ see it on february 3rd. hey, buddy? oh, hey, flo. you want to see something cool? snapshot, from progressive. my insurance company told me not to talk to people like you. you always do what they tell you? no... try it, and see what your good driving can save you. you don't even have to switch. unless you're scared. i'm not scared, it's...

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now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories for the day. do you agree with john bainer? will president obama try to annihilate the republican party? republican, remember that word because it might go the way of the dinosaurs. annihilated not by a giant meteor but by president obama. that's if you believe republican house speaker john boehner. >> so we're expecting here over

the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration, as they attempt to annihilate the republican party and let me just say i do believe that is their goal, to just shove us into the dust bin of history. >> the house speaker was talking to a group of mainstream republicans a day after president obama laid out his agenda in his inaugural address, that agenda includes climate change, gun control and gay marriage, issues only a republican house can block, hence, boehner argues the president needs to totally annihilate to achieve his liberal agenda. the white house has not responded but it's an odd turn-around, two years ago we were hearing this from senate minority leader republican mitch mcconnell. >> some have said it was it was indelicate of me to suggest that our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny president obama a second

term. but the fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill, to end the bailouts, cut spending and shrink the size and scope of government, the only way to do all of those things is to put someone in the white house who won't veto any of these things. >> after that, democrats worried republicans were trying to annihilate the democratic party, in part by trying to destroy unions, the most vivid example of that, wisconsin. the republican governor successfully pushed a bill that stripped collective bargaining rights for most public unions. ohio and michigan followed scott walker's lead with mixed success. and now it seems the tables have turned. now if you believe boehner, the democrats want to annihilate the gop. so the talkback question for you, do you agree with boehner? will obama try to annihilate the republican party? facebook.com/carolcnn, or tweet

me @carolcnn. i'll be right back. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula. to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. neutrogena®.

good morning. thanks so much for joining us. i'm carol costello. stories we're watching right now in "the newsroom" at 30 past the hour. apple shares expected to drag down the market despite reporting second highest earnings ever the stock slipped 9% because analysts predicted even bigger sales. ringing the opening bell today cycle for survival, the national indoor cycling event owned and operated by memorial sloan kettering cancer center.

researchers found people who smoke lose ten years from their life but those who quit smoking by the age of 40 reduce the risk of death from smoking and smoking-related illnesses by as much as 90%. the study was published in the "new england journal of medicine." this morning, senator dianne feinstein is expected to unveil her proposal for an assault weapons ban. the bill would joutlaw about 12 weapons and magazine cartridges. the nra is already fighting against this bill claiming it infringing on second amendment rights. here's wayne lapierre from the nra. >> we believe we deserve and have every right to the same level of freedom that our government leaders keep for themselves, in the same capabilities and the same technologies that criminal use to prey upon us and our families. that means we believe in our right to defend ourselves and our families with semiautomatic

firearms technology. >> and of course lapierre is most likely referring to the ar-15, the best selling semiautomatic rifle, it was used in the newtown shootings. one state is trying to stop any new federal gun control laws before they're even passed, about ever they're even introduced. michigan state lawmakers are considering a bill that would exempt guns from federal regulations and they're doing it in a novel way. the guns have to be made in michigan for gun laws to apply. republicans support the bill and say it will help the state economy, and also send a message to the federal government, but democrats worry it could be unconstitutional and result in a lawsuit, like it has in other states, with similar laws. michigan's gop governor rick snyder told them they should focus on the economy and mental health issues instead. joining me from lansing,

michigan, republican senator mick jones, welcome. >> good morning. >> good morning and thank you for being here. no federal gun laws have even been passed so pardon the pun, aren't you kind of jumping the gun? >> not really. you know, there's much talk about blocking all semiautomatic guns and michigan has a rich hunting heritage, we hunt deer with semiautomatic rifles, we hunt ducks, rabbits and turkeys with semiautomatic shotguns and we believe -- >> ar-15 s though? come on. >> ar-15 hunt things like coyotes. >> but they're not normally used. >> you know, many people use them to defend their selves, their homes and you know as a former sheriff, as a police officer for 31 years, i can tell you that guns are not evil things. the evil people that use them improperly are the ones that need to be locked up and i

support stronger mental health, i support locking up the violently mentally ill for treatment. >> a cnn poll shows most people support an assault weapons ban and background checks for gun owners. do those people matter? >> i absolutely support background checks for gun owners. we have background checks here in michigan before you're allowed to make a purchase, a background check is done. >> but for those people who favor gun control and gun control as it applies to the two weapons like the ar-15, do those people's opinions matter in your decision to support this state legislation? >> well, my constituents believe that we have the right to defend ourselves, the second amendment, we believe that the interstate commerce rules are overreaching. it has become judge made law and judge made law can be bad. i'll give you a quick example, separate but equal, segregation was stand willing law of the

land but it was banned. it was bad law and we believe the interstate commerce is overreaching. >> but isn't it, doesn't it get dangerous when states pick and choose which federal laws they want to enforce? >> you know, states are doing this constantly. states have medical marijuana. i'm not a big fan of that product. but they have marijuana out there now and the federal law clearly states that marijuana is illegal. but i think we just want to send a strong message that we have a strong hunting heritage here. i know that the town where they make remingtons, the remington factory is under great duress and i would invite them to bring their high paid union jobs here to michigan. we would be welcoming them. >> nobody is talking about outlawing all guns, just certain kinds of guns, and some people might say the argument over gun control seems hysterical now, at least to gun control advocates. there are gun rights advocates

who say arming the slaves would have meant no slavery in america. there are people who say the president is determined to abolish the second amendment, even though there's no move to do that. some might accuse you of playing into these fears to get your law, your personal beliefs passed. >> well, i am chair of the senate judiciary. i had five bills assigned to my committee yesterday and i simply had a hearing on those bills. >> but even the republican governor says this is not the right way to go, that the state legislators in the state of michigan should be focusing on the economy, because things are still pretty rough there. >> we are focusing on the economy, and perhaps you haven't seen the latest news, we've got jobs coming from canada into michigan, mid michigan is booming in jobs and we have made this state a very, very pro-business state, where people want to bring their jobs, and we have good highly skilled workers here ready to work. >> senator rick jones from

michigan and michigan state senator, thank you so much for joining thus morning. >> have a great annihilaannihil boehner says president obama is trying to do the republican party? we'll talk about it. i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thankyou card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot even on a holiday weekend. ♪ things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your citi thankyou points to travel whenever you want. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply.

might go the way of the dinosaurs a my lated not by a giant meteor but by president obama. >> so we're expecting here over the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration as they attempt to annihilate the republican party. and let me just tell you, i do believe that is their goal, to just shove us into the dust bin of history. >> the house speaker was talking to a group of republicans a day after president obama laid out his agenda in his inaugural address, that agenda includes climate change, gun control and gay marriage, issues only a republican-controlled house can block, hence the president needs total annihilation of the republican party to achieve his goals, at least in john boehner's mind. will cain is a cnn contributor and analyst for "the blaze" and row lan martin, cnn political

analyst. welcome to you both. >> good morning. >> glad to be here. >> it seems yesterday democrats were relenting republicans wanted to make obama a one-term president. is this tit-for-tat will? >> i'll be honest it's not a news flash. one party wants complete control of government, they want to get the other one out of the way, republicans in the house, stand in the way of obama's agenda, an agenda he laid out pretty clearly, explicitly in his inaugural address so yeah, i think we would like democrats and president obama would like to see to takeover 2014, that's no surprise. >> those are strong words to use, roland a my late, put republicans in the dust bin of history? >> well first of all, i mean look, we're already used to speaker boehner crying and so now we're dealing with him whining. let's remind the american people, karl rove talked about a permanent republican majority, when president george w. bush was in office. that didn't last long. go back to president ronald

reag reagan, republicans talking about the reagan revolution. from eight years of reagan, four years of bush, eight years of clinton, eight years of bush, that reagan's vision, if you will, sort of dominated the conversation. here's what speaker boehner has to understand. look on the state level, republican governors and state legislatures. you have republicans who control more state branches than they actually do democrats, and so this is just typical political whining as will said, both sides want to be in control. it's no doubt because you want to govern a lot easier, if your party controls all levels of political office. >> carol can we talk about what inspired boehner's statement? and that is that president obama's speech was openly progressive, not just on its face on its policy goals like you pointed out in climate change or gun control but in its philosophy as well. >> and? >> the elevation of collectiveism, of collective right, collective action. this is the cycle of american

politics, one party begins to feel tough, big dog bows its chest out and reaches for goals that are beyond the american public's desires. it happened in 1934 with fdr packing the court, it happened in '66 with lbj's great society, roland pointing out some republican examples. what happens when that huberous takes hold the pendulum swings the other way. i would caution democrats i know you're feeling big but this is when you're in most danger. >> this is not sticking your chest out. this is what is called laying out your vision. the president of the united states -- >> it's about division. >> no, no, the president of the united states has every right to lay out his vision because he won. remember, he won. >> let me explain something, i'm explaining the risk for the future, not the fact that he won already. >> there's always a risk. >> if you overreach, that's always a dangerous thing. >> no, no, there's no such thing as overreaching until you try to make it happen and it doesn't pass. so you're casting a vision, no

one says everything he talked about actually is going to happen, but you still have to cast the vision, and so how can we call something overreaching when you haven't even seen it go through congress yet? >> no, no, no, i think you're not keeping -- i'm suggesting that it's a warning. he's laying out a vision that might include something that overreaches. >> it's always a warning. >> if history is our example we can guess will it be gun control, climate change? >> republicans have a secret weapon because bainer in that same speech also mentioned that he has legendary notre dame lou holtz to give freshman republicans a pep talk and i wondered what might that look like? >> easy. i didn't do so well when i coached the new york jets, that's probably what he had to say. give me a break. look, you can bring in lou holtz, you can bring in bryan kehl kelly, chip kelly, lou saban, maybe he's trying to buck up their spirits.

>> it really time to buck into the notre dame mythology? >> it's really not. >> quick, the aggie beat lou holtz's irish in the cotton bowl. maybe you ought to call the aggies to give the pep talk. >> oh, whatever. we're back in a minute. what's next? he's going to apply testosterone to his underarm. axiron, the only underarm treatment for low t, can restore testosterone levels back to normal in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact.

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47 minutes past the hour. time to check our top stories.

the five-alarm fire that destroyed a chicago warehouse is burning again, debris inside that vacant structure has rekindled but firefighters can't get their hoses to fight the fire because the building is now encased in ice that formed when firefighters battled the initial fire in subfreezing temperatures. it's the offseason so where is derek jeter? why he's at the world economic forum in davos, switzerland, of course. the yankees team captain is banging the drum for climate change, after superstorm sandy, he said the issue must be addressed. home improvement giant lowe's plans to hire 54,000 part-time workers this spring and will also add 9,000 permanent part-time jobs. the company says it's looking to beef up staff around peak shopping times. we're watching shares of apple dive, i mean dive today following an earnings report that fell short of analyst expectations. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange and you prekik d

predicted this and as always you were right. >> reporter: as always. we're watching apple shares drop like a rock down 11%. we look at what apple said in its earnings after the bell. they cannibalized themselves. people wound out buying lower priced products, instead of buying the iphone 4, more bought the iphone 4 or 4s. instead of the ipad they bought the ipad mini. apple reported record profits. they sold 48 million iphones in the latest quarter, more than half a million iphones sold every day in october, november, and december combined. you look at their ipad sales almost 23 million ipads sold. apple sold 12.6 million ipods so as much as we're watching the share price fall, this isn't a company that's going down in flames just yet, carol. >> gosh i hope that. that would seem impossible to me. alison kosik live at the new

york stock exchange. talkback question for you, do you agree with john boehner, will president obama try to annihilate the republican party? face book.com/carolcnn or tweet me @carolcnn. ♪and you will be happy too. email marketing from constant contact

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♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ talk back question for you today, do you agree with john boehner? patrick said, obama doesn't have to. they are doing a fine job on

their own. and teresa said, that's just what mr. obama wants to do. and david said, the republicans are doing a pretty good job of self-annihilation. and from dorothy, boehner is a soar loser and should work with obama. this republican pity party is getting out of hand. face book.com/carolcnn or tweet me. now, a former tennis star is calling an injury time-out a charade. it's proven to be 4x better at smoothing lines and deep wrinkles than professional treatments. roc® max for maximum results.

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one day after serena williams tries to get her run going, taking on the defending champ, victoria azarenka's second set to pull and the tournament called it treatment of left knee and rib injuries. the medical time-out was a turning point. she admitted she almost choked. the injury was a charade and

suggested the sports rules ought to be changed. a soccer player will not be charged after this incident involving a ball boy. he was trying to get the ball back in play with his visiting team. the home team ball boy had the ball underneath him and when he went to kick the ball, he kicked the 17-year-old. the player was ejected but apologized to the boy. manti te'o says that he's the victim of a hoax by the old world cat fishing. it was popularized in a movie called "catfish". >> megan? >> you're voices not what i expected. >> as deborah feyerick reports,

catfishing is more common than you would think. >> reporter: as crazy as it sounds, people are hoaxed every day. >> doctors, lawyers, people really smart. >> reporter: dawn says she's spoken to men and women who get caught after falling deeply in love online glchlt what is it they are hoping for? >> everyone just wants to find needed and loved and find that romance, the wonder, the excitement of it all. the scammer just knows how to pull them into it. >> reporter: it's called catfishing, a term popularized by the 2010 film called "catfish" who has a relationship with an online woman who turns out not to exist. it's one e-mail, one text at a time over months and for manti

te'o's case, for years. >> he fell in love with a fictional character. just a fantasy in his head. >> richie believes te'o is like many of her clients, the target of a cruel hoax. >> the bottom line is, there is money. >> richie has had clients pay tens and thousands of dollars to pay off bills or buy airline ticket and jewelry and in one case a new bmw. te'o told espn that he never gave her money but asked for his checking account number to send him money. he never gave it to her. >> nothing is going to match up. phone numbers aren't going to match up. i mean, you can send me to an address and it's not going to be the person. >> reporter: in most cases, won the money dries up, the scammer

disappears. in manti te'o's case, his girlfriend faked the death. >> they don't want to talk to their friends, their family, they've depleted their bank account. they feel completely humiliated. >> reporter: and answering the question, how could it happen in the first place? >> deb feyerick is here with more. where do scammers find people to target? >> they go where people are needy. dating websites. it's a con. it's looking for people who are looking for the perfect person. i like tennis, oh, my god, i like tennis. ill love traveling. they become the person who you need, even if it means taking somebody's photo or life story. they may just be messing with you but most often they are after your money.

>> deb feyerick, live from new yoork, thank you so much. the next hour of cnn "newsroom" starts right now. stories we're watching right now in the newsroom on the hill and under the microscope, john kerry faces lawmakers in his bid to become the next secretary of state. frigid temperatures are making for unusual frigid conditions and pretty cool pictures but when will it end. the marketing of manti te'o after that hoax turned him into a punchline. canadians take their maple leaf seriously. so how did the wrong maple leaf end up on the new $20 bill? newsroom starts right now. good morning. thank you for being with us. i'm carol costello. senator john kerry appears on

the other side of a nomination hearing. he begins his bid to become the next secretary of state. both parties predict he will sale through an easy confirmation. if so, he will succeed hillary clinton. clinton put her diplomacy to the test yesterday when she appeared on capitol hill to answer for the deaths of four americans in libya. clinton claimed full responsibility for the deaths at due to the attack. nobody has been arrested. zain verjee is in london. i want to take the politics out of this and get the latest on the actual investigation. >> the bottom line, carol, on the investigation is, no one's been arrested. there's really not a lot of information on the

investigation. here's what we found. videos like this among the best leads the u.s. has to identifying suspects behind the killing of u.s. ambassador christopher stevens and three other americans. it shows what authorities say is the aftermath of the attack. a u.s. law enforcement official says that they are looking at 15 people. robert mueller was recently in tripoli. mueller met with the prime minister, among others. fbi agents have had a difficult time working on site in benghazi to analyze the crime scene because of security concerns. the fbi is tapping into facebook like this. people can fill out a form on the fbi's website. meanwhile, libyan officials say

they are frustrated because they don't control the area where the attack happened. militants do. and those militants are sympathetic with al qaeda. local leaders are not cooperating. withins are also said to be afraid to talk and key police officers terrified of revenge attacks. >> so zain, has u.s. diplomacy overall changed since the benghazi attack? >> you know, it really has, carol. i was speaking to experts who say the security arm at the state department, known as diplomatic security, has always tried to balance diplomacy on one hand and security on the other. to the extent to which, how can you let officials go out and meet people? since benghazi, there's a lot less people-to-people contact and much more emphasis on security. the other thing, too, analysts

say before 9/11, the diplomacy was focused on managing relations. now the u.s. is focused on changing the world. which means that in order for the u.s. to be safe and secure since 9/11, the u.s. is getting involved in so many places around the world. much more is expected of diplomats so the u.s. is getting involved in places like mali, algeria, to make sure that there's good governance which means jobs, stability, lower unemployment and less of a risk for militants that could grab a pool of people that are angry and unemployed and all that means is it's important to u.s. security and it's totally changed u.s. diplomacy. >> zain verjee, reporting live for us this morning. one hour from now a new strict gun control will be unveiled and the latest push comes from senator dianne

feinstein, the california democrat who authored the original ban back in the '90s. sources tell us miss feinstein will have with her a bushmaster, the military rifle used in the massacre from sandy hook elementary. it would ban the sale, transfer, and importation of guns fitted with detachable magazines and ban the importation of assault weapons and large capacity magazines and high-capacity magazines that hold more than ten rounds. dana bash is live in washington. let's talk about dianne feinstein's props first. she's going to be holding a bushmasterer? >> reporter: i'm not sure if she'll be holding it. she might. she will have more than one assault weapon and she's going to have them on display. there you see the bushmaster

ar-15. that is was, of course, the kind of weapon used in the newtown shootings. but the reason she is going to do this, i'm told, is to show specifically her fellow democrat, of which there are half a dozen or more that want to do little if anything to change the assault weapon laws, that you don't need these kinds of guns in the average of ordinary people. that is likely the argument she is going to make. again, it's going to be aimed at her fellow democrats resistant to this. but she is going to have a lot of different people with her to make this argument. this is the unveiling of the premier key legislation she promised to put out at the beginning of congress right after newtown. we are expecting to have quite a show when she comes up in about an hour. >> just so people understand,

i'm looking at what is supposed to be in her bill. there's the word importation in there. is she going to introduce a bill that bans assault weapons in this country or importation into the country? >> reporter: i have it here. ban the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of 120 specifically named firearms and she also will include semiautomatic rifles and magazines that hold more than ten rounds. in d.c., the gun laws are very strict and she'll be in the united states capitol which is in d.c. so i'm told that she and her office worked very hard and jumped through many, many hoops coordinating with the d.c. police department and capitol police to make sure that she is doing everything by our books. because you remember our friend david gregory brought in an assault weapons to make a point with the nra executive director and seemed to have been in a

little bit of hot water with the d.c. government that. is something that dianne feinstein and her folks have tried pretty diligently to make this point by illustrating and having the visuals of these assault weapons at her press conference. >> we're going to head over to the senate because john kerry's confirmation is about to get under way. senator bob menendez is introducing and making jokes with the crowd. hillary clinton will introduce him when they begin. >> so you are clearly making history, once again. yours is a big chair to fill and i will do my best today to live up to your example. i've watched your lead on the committee with an equally deep and abiding commitment to get to the heart of the matter, always probative, always open to

debate, always ready to mitigate disagreements, always looking for truths and uncovering the facts and then publicly speaking truth to power solely on the best interests of the nation. as chairman you have already built strong relationships with leaders around the world which will help you seamlessly in the role of secretary of state. you will need no introduction to the world's military and political leaders and will begin on day one with an understanding of the nuance approach necessary to effectively act on the multinational stage. when vice president biden sat in this chair, he said on more than one occasion, good international relationships are always predicated on strong interpersonal relationships. i think we can all agree that you have set the highest standard for developing those relationships throughout your career and as secretary of state

you will continue to strengthen those relationships on behalf of the presidents and the furtherance of american foreign policy. i'll have some questions later on policies and your views, including how you explain to world leaders how you could have been rooting for the boston red sox instead of what the world knows as the new york yankees as the team of the world. but let me say, mr. chairman, it's been a pleasure working with you and continuing to work with you for the issues that you champion over the years. fighting global terrorism, preventing the spread of biological weapons, fighting for human rights against hiv/a.i.d.s. around the world. if your new role, should you be confirmed, and i know you will, your portfolio will be greatly expanded from securing our

embassies and protecting our overseas personnel and through cooperation where possible and isolation where necessary as in the case of iran. of course, it goes without saying that you have truly been a world leader in one of the most consequential issues of our time, climate change. it heartens me to know that you will be our voice to the world. whatever challenges we face, in my view, the state department could not be in better hands. when it comes to world affairs, i know we agree it's critical that the united states remain fully engaged, that we project not only the power of our military strength when necessary but the wisdom of our democratic ideals as we adjust to the through tlts we will face. there is no doubt you will be tested in your new role as secretary nor is there any doubt that you will pass any test with honors as you always have.

before i recognize senator corker, let me thank you on behalf of the committee for all you have done in your ill lus tree yous career here in the senate and in anticipation of your confirmation by the full senate, i wish you good luck and god speed to the many journeys ahead and we look forward to having a close working relationship with you as the next secretary of state. let me now recognize senator corker for his comments. >> we're going to break away and dip in at some point during the hearings and show you the most interesting stuff. a new development about the late football star junior seau. his family has filed a lawsuit against the nfl and against the helmet-maker riddell. a brain disease came about from violent hits he sustained while he played in the nfl.

tests determined that seau had the brain disease that can only be diagnosed after death. paul, welcome. >> good morning, carol. >> we know that more than 1500 players are suing the nfl, alleging that the league hit the dangers of concussions from them. what's different about this seau family suit? >> i don't know that there's anything different about the particulars that they are claiming in the lawsuit but the one thing that is different is that is he such a popular player. he was an all pro. he played for san diego for a long time. he was really a beloved linebacker and i think that ultimately having a name like his name attached to this litigation is going to help a lot in getting the public to take these lawsuits very, very seriously. >> you know, i keep wondering about these lawsuits because you hear from nfl players who say even after doctors say they've

had concussions that want to get back on the field, how difficult will it be for these players to be successful? >> well, the nfl is raising a couple of arguments to defend against these suits. they are saying -- and i think this is an interesting one. they are saying, you all signed a collective bargaining agreement and in that agreement you waived your right to sue us because we have dealt with these issues in the collective bargaining agreement. they are also going to defend these cases by saying, you can't prove that playing football in the nfl caused the injury. most of these players played in college and high school. how do you isolate and say a particular hit in the nfl was the cause? and then, of course, the big argument that they raised, hey, if you're playing professional football, you know what you're getting yourself into. you assumed the risk of this profession and chose voluntarily to play a very different sport and now you can't sue us for

that. and that sort of resonates with a lot of people that love to watch football, that these guys know what they are getting themselves into. >> and the nfl has been doing things along the way to prove that they are doing something about it. can that work both ways when a lawsuit finally gets to court? >> well, it can, carol. i think you see the lawyers are being somewhat clever about this, particularly in junior seau's lawsuit. the nfl studies were fraud due lent studies, studies meant to lure people into thinking that players were safe when the nfl in fact knew that the players were not safe and to compare to another lawsuit that everybody thought nobody could win, the tobacco companies. people smoke cigarettes voluntarily. eventually the tobacco companies got hit for billions of dollars. lawyers use the same theory that

they are doing in this case, that internal studies clearly demonstrated dangers and lied about those dangers publicly. they are saying the nfl did the same thing. they knew and should have warned the players and they didn't because they wanted to make money running these teams. >> paul, thanks so much. >> thank you, carol. >> the helmet maker riddell says, we are confident in the integrity of our products and our ability to successfully defend our products against challenges. some people say president obama's inaugural speech made history with the gay and lesbian community but others say it's just lip service. so what do they want the president to do now? ds will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7.

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senator john kerry's confirmation hearings have begun. when hillary clinton begins speaking, we'll take you back to the senate live. it was a historic moment. the first u.s. president to support same-sex marriage in his inaugural address and set the stage for his second-term goals. >> our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. >> the critics say he's not really helping gays and lesbians, it's just lip service. ben shapiro wrote, even as he

stoked the flames of the culture war by suggesting that america isn't truly equal under law until same-sex marriage is embraced, he refuses to federalize the issue. obama's speech, then, was sound and fury. you're here for your big conference and i just wanted to ask you when you were listening to president obama's inaugural address and heard the remarks, did you spike the football? >> i honestly cried. i was sitting on the steps of the capitol with my 11-year-old daughter and to hear the president inauguration after inauguration was a powerful moment. >> we're going to have to break away for just a second. here's secretary of state hillary clinton. >> i was very honored when john asked me to take part in this because john is is the right choice, to carry forward the

obama administration's foreign policy and i urge his speedy confirmation. as we've heard from both the chairman and ranking member, as we just heard from senator warren, he will bring about a leadership that is ex am plear. he has acted as the young returning veteran from vietnam who appeared before this committee through the time that he served with such distinction as its chairman. he's been a valued partner to this administration and to me personally. he has fought for our diplomats and development experts. he understands the value of investing in america's global leadership. and as we work to implement the accountability review boards recommendations, he's committed to doing whatever it takes to prevent another attack and

protect our people and posts around the world. now, working together we've achieved a great deal but the state department and usaid have a lot of unfinished business from afghanistan to proliferation to climate change and so much. we need to continue to ramp up economics as a tool for advancing america interests and jobs, pressing forward with unleashing the potential of the world's women and girls, keep champion the kind of smart power that leads to innovation and partnerships with government and people alike to promote peace and stability. john has built strong relationships with leaders here around the world and has experience in representing our country in fragile and unpredictable circumstances. he he was in pakistan and afghanistan a few years ago and

we were consulting over the phone. he played an instrumental role in working with president karzai at that time to accept the results of the election and to move forward. hi to call harry reid and ask harry not to schedule any votes so john could see that mission through. but that's what he does. he's a determined and effective representative of the united states, has been as a senator, will be as secretary. let me close by saying that leading our diplomats and development experts is a great honor and every day, as i testified yesterday, i've seen firsthand their skill, their bravery, unwavering commitment to our country. i've been proud to call them colleagues and to serve as secretary of state and i'm very pleased that john will be given

the chance, subject to confirmation, to continue the work of a lifetime on behalf of our country. thank you. >> thank you, madam secretary. senator mccain? >> mr. chairman, i'm pleased to be here with secretary warren and secretary clinton to introduce and speak, say a few words about my friend, senator kerry to the committee. obviously the nominee doesn't need to be introduced to the committee on which he has served for over a quarter of a century and as its chairman for the last four years, i can dispens of the nominee record. >> we're going to jump away. when john kerry gives his introductory remarks to the committee, we'll go back. we're going to take a quick break. we'll be back with much more. they have magnesium. for effective relief of occasional constipation. thanks. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. officemax can help you drive suand down.s down... use your maxperks card and get a 10-ream case of officemax multiuse paper for just 4.99 after maxperks rewards.

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you see senator john kerry there. he's about to start his confirmation hearings. a republican is singing john kerry praises. let's listen. >> in 1991, then senate majority leader mitchell and majority leader dole appointed a select committee in which john and senator bob smith chaired and i was appointed member as well. members of that committee had passionate and conflicting views on the subject of whether or not vietnam still kept american p.o.w.s. the subject was controversial and provoked a strong passions of many americans, not the least of which were the families of the missing. most americans who cared about this issue were people of goodwill and honesty but there were a few conartists who for

various reasons promoted all kinds of conspiracy theories. on many occasions, our public hearings became a circus. behind the scenes, arguments became as heated and as personal as any i've ever experienced. getting information about p.o.w. mias from the intelligence committee was difficult and getting information from the vietnamese, even more so. it wasn't a pleasant experience, to say the least. but through it all, john led the committee with fairness to all sides, with persistence in the pursuit of the truth and with an absolute unshakeable resolve that all members could accept. really, no matter how contentious that at times crazy things got, john would believe that he would get the committee to see reason and provide an answer accepted by most veterans

and americans who cared about the issue, and he did. he got all of the members to agree to an exhaustive and investigative report that concluded there was credible evidence that americans remain in captivity in vietnam. it was a masterful accomplishment. john and i worked together to encourage the government administration and vietnam to begin normalizing relations. i witnessed john's diplomatic skills. his patience, persistence, persuasiveness, his tact, and singular focus on getting the best result possible in the diverse array of government officials in both countries, convincing a reluctant administration what was a perilous decision and reluctant fellow senators to vote for a resolution recommending normal lie zags.

it was an impressive performance, to say the least. helping to establish a relationship with vietnam that serves american interests and values rather than one that was resentment and bitterness is one of my proudest accomplishments as a senator and i expected it is john's as well. working towards that end with john and witnessing almost daily his statesmanship is one of the highest privileges i've had here. should he be confirmed, and i'm confident he will be, i'm sure we will have our disagreements which i know neither will hesitate to bring to the other's attention but i know he will be in that office with distinction and use his many talents and persistence to advance our country's interests and i commend his nomination to you without reservation. >> you might want to rest your case there, mr. chairman.

with our thanks to this distinguished panel, we thank you very much, madam secretary, to our colleagues, and now we call chairman secretary up to the -- mr. chairman, we welcome you to the other side of the committee. and look forward to your testimony and any introductions you may want to make.

>> mr. chairman, ranking member corker and members of the committee, thank you very, very much. i'm in awe of the wonderful comments that were just made and i appreciate them and i'll say a little bit more about them. before i begin, i would like to have the privilege of just introducing very quickly, i think most of you know my wonderful wife teresa who has been part of this great journey for a long time, my brother cam who is serving over in the commerce department and i trust they know he's here and have given him time off, and my daughter vanessa and her husband brian, both of whom are working as physicians as mass general ins boston and another daughter who is not here, alexandra and three stepsons who are likewise

spread around the world. but we are thinking about them as we embark on this wonderful journey. for 29 years, i've sat up on the deck where you all are and have looked down on the witnesses and wondered what they think sometimes as we question them and i don't want this to affect your opening questions, but let me say, i've never seen a more distinguished and better group of public officials in my life. suddenly i am feeling a lot of sympathy for the folks who sit down here. i want you to know that a couple nights ago i was watching "godfather 2," so be forewarned if somebody shows up with my long loft brother in the audience, all bets are off, folks. and i am enormously grateful for the generous comments of the chair and the ranking member. thank you very, very much.

thank you also for your tremendous cooperation over the course of the last years and providing that you get out of me quickly, i will be able to congratulate you more fully when you resume your responsibilities. i will tell all of you on this committee, the new members, particularly, that i have enjoyed chairing this committee and working with you as much as anything that i have done or been privileged to do in all of my career. i think this is one of the great committees of the united states senate and it's the only major committee that i have served on since day one when i arrived in the senate in 1985. as you know, the committee carries special consequential responsibility with respect to the security of our nation and i think each and every one of you,

for the serious considering that you give and have given to the challenges issues and for the remarkable cooperation that i have had as chairman of the committee, if confirmed, i look forward to continuing to work particularly closely with all of you. as we tackle some of the toughest issues and challenges that i have seen in the entire time i've served on this committee. and i particularly welcome the new members in that regard. i'm very grateful to president obama for nominating me and entrusting me with this important responsibility and i am particularly grateful to secretary clinton, senator mccain, and senator warren for their introductions of me just now. i will not take it personally that this may be the one item in washington that seems to unite democrats and republicans to get me out of the senate quickly.

secretary clinton particularly has served above and beyond the call of duty. i think everybody on this committee would agree. her services has been superb and we all thank her for a job well done. she has set a very high mark for the steward ship of the state department and commitment to country. and i can pledge to you that with the con sent of the senate, i will do everything in my power, summon every energy and all of my focus to build on her record and on the president's vision. senator mccain, as he mentioned, is a long-time friend. we met here in the senate coming from very different political positions and perspectives but, you know, we found common ground. i will never forget standing with him in hanoi in the cell in

the hanoi hilton in which he spent a number of years of his life, just the two of us listening to him talk about that experience. i will all be grateful for his partnership in helping to make real peace with vietnam by establishing the most significant process in the history of our country or in any country for the accounting of missing and dead in any war and then working to lift the em bar doe and normalize relations with an olden me. john had every reason to hate but he didn't and instead we were able to help heal deep wounds and end the war that had divided too many people for much too long. and as we talked about war and peace and foreign policy, i want all of us to keep in our minds, as i think we do, the extraordinary men and women in

uniform who are on the front lines, even as we meet here today, the troops at war who helped protect america. i can pledge to you that as a veteran of war i will all carry the consequences of our decisions in my mind and be grateful that we have such extraordinary people to back us up. i'll also thank my new colleague, senator warren, for her comment. she's a long-time fierce fighter for what is just and fair and if her testimony has an affect today and helps win votes for my confirm mag, she will become a senior of our state in a record few days. i spent 29 years. it's humbling to be here before you in this new role as president obama's nominee for secretary of state. but my approach to this role, if

confirmed, is deeply informed by the 29 years that i have been able to spend in the senate. that perspective will remain with me if confirmed secretary and i'm already excited about the ways we can work together and how we must work together in order to advance america's security interests in a complicated and ever more dangerous world. i would add that i'm particularly aware that in many ways the greatest challenge to america's foreign policy will be in your hands, not mine. because while it's often said that we can't be strong at home if we're not strong in the world, in these days of fiscal crisis, and as a recovering member of the supercommittee, i am especially cognizant of the fact that we can't be strong in the world until we're strong at home. and the first priority of business, which will affect my credibility as a diplomat and

our credibility as a nation, as we work to help other countries create order, the first priority will be that america at last puts its own fiscal house in order. i really can't emphasize to you enough how imperative this is. people all over the world are being looking to the united states for leadership. we are known as the indispensable nation for good reason. no nation has more opportunity to advance the cause of democracy. no nation is committed as to human rights as we are. but to protect our nation and make good on our promises, as well as to live up to our ideals and meet the crisis of this moment, it is urgent that we show people and the rest of the world that we can get our business done in an effective

and timely way. it is difficult enough to solve the problems that we face but i will tell you, it becomes impossible or near impossible if we ourselves replace with gridlock and dysfunction. i have heard it in my trips and secretary clinton has heard it in her trips and any of you who travel will begin to hear questions about whether or not the united states can or will deliver. moreover, more than ever, foreign policy is economic policy. the world is competing for resources and global markets. every day that goes by where america is uncertain about engaging in that arena or unwilling to put our best foot forward and win, unwilling to demonstrate our resolve, to lead, is a day in which we weaken our nation itself. my plea is that we can summon across party lines without partisan diversions and economic

patriotism which recognizes that america's strength and prospects abroad depend on america strength and results at home. it hard it's hard to tell the leaderships that they have to create economic order where there is none if we don't provide it for ourselves. it's also imperative that in implementing president obama's vision for the world as he ends more than a decade of war, that we join together to augment our message to the world. president obama and everyone here knows that american foreign policy is not defined by drones and deployments alone. we cannot allow the extraordinary good that we do to save and change lives to be eclipsed entirely by the role that we have had to play since september 11th, a role that was

thrust upon us. american foreign policy is also defined by food security, energy security, humanitarian assistance, the fight against disease and the push for development. as much as it is by any single counterterrorism initiative, and it must be. it is defined by leadership on life threatening issues like climate change or fighting to lift up millions of lives by promoting democracy from africa to the americas or speaking out for the prisoners in north korea or millions refugees and displaced persons. it's combined by keeping faith to secure for afghanistan. america lives up to her values when we give voice to the voiceless. i share with the president the conviction that it is ee can quickly imperative to

increasing, failed, and failing states. burgeoning populations of young people, hungry for jobs, opportunity, individual rights, and freedom are rebelling against years of disenfranchisement and humiliation. a fruit vendor who united the abe rab be awakening wanted dignity and respect. he wanted to sell his fruit without corruption and abuse. that's what led him to self-emulate. tahrir square represented a generation generational thrist for opportunity. the developed world can do more to meet the challenge and opportunity of these

aspirations, with the help of all of the membership members of this committee, i'm determined to help president obama meet this moment. it is vital for our nation that we do so. the world is well aware that we face a number of immediate dangerous challenges, particularly in the middle east and south central asia. given our extraordinary interests in nonproliferation, we must resolve the questions surrounding iran's nuclear program. the president has made it definitive. we will do what we must do to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. and i repeat here today, our policy is not containment. it is prevention. and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance. this administration working with congress in an unprecedented and national coalition has put into place crippling sanctions on

iran. mr. chairman, you have been a leader in that effort and i know you will continue to be. president obama has stated again and again and i want to emphasize this, he and i prefer a diplomatic resolution to this challenge and i will work to give diplomacy every effort to succeed but no one should mistake our resolve to reduce the nuclear threat. nearly 42 years ago chairman fulbright first gave me the opportunity to testify before this committee during a difficult and divided time for our country. today i can't help but recognize that the world itself then was in many ways simpler, divided as it was along bipolar cold war antagonisms. today's world is more complicated than anything we have experienced. from the emergence of china to

the arab awakening, linked economic, health, environmental and demographic issues, refugees, conflict ongoing in afghanistan. entire populations and faiths struggling with the demands and the accelerating pace of technological innovation invading all of that, shifting powers from states to individuals. with the end of the cold war, henry kissinger pointed out, he said, none of the most important countries which must build a new world order have had any experience with the multistate system that is emerging. never before has a new world order had to be assembled from so many different perceptions or

global a scale nor the historic balance of power system with global democratic opinion and exploding technology of the contemporary period. that was written in 1994 and it may be even more relevant today. so this really is a time for american leadership, a time for fresh thinking, a time to cross party lines and divide and come together in the interests of our nation. a time to find ways to work together to maximize the impact of all of america's resources, including the great resource of this committee and of the united states senate. if i am confirmed, one of the first things that i intend to do is sit down with senator menendez and senator corker and invite all the members of the committee to come together, hopefully at a time when there's no interruption and we can actually dig in and talk and

talk about how we can have a constructive dialogue and collegial relationship. because even the unique oversight role that the committee plays, the challenges in the world are so enormous that we would do our country a disservice if we didn't identify the ways that we can help each other to confront a unique set of questions globally. if you confirm me, i would take office as secretary proud that the senate is in my blood. but equally proud that so too is foreign service. my father's work under presidents, both republican and democrat, took me and my siblings around the world for a personal journey of the sacrifices and commitment that the men and women make every day on behalf of america. i wish every one in the country

could see and understand firsthand the devotion, loyalty, amazingly hard and often dangerous work that the diplomats on the front lines do for our nation. theirs is a service which earns our country an enormous return on investment. i will be proud and honored to represent them and i will work hard to augment our public diplomacy so the story is told at home and abroad. everyone on this committee knows well that the road ahead is tough but i believe just as deeply that global leadership is as strategic imperative for america. it's not a favor that we do for other countries. it extends our reach. it's the folcrum of our influence and it matters. it really matters to the daily lives of americans. it matters that we get this

moment right for america and for the world. one discussion that i particularly look forward to beginning with you, my colleagues and with our country, is about the commitment that we make in our foreign affairs budget. less than 1% of the entire budget of government, at a time that the world is getting smaller, that our economy depends on it is relationship with every other country in the world that we face a more global market in history. so in my conversations with business leaders, to crisis areas, refugee camps and in some of the poorest countries on earth, i have been reminded of the importance of the work that our state department does to protect and advance america's interests and do the job of diplomacy in a dangerous world and particularly if there is

more that can be done to advance our economic capacity and interests. in this debate and in every endeavor, i pledge to work very closely with this committee, mr. chairman, mr. ranking member, not just because it will be my responsibility but because i will not be able to do this job effectively, nor will our country get what it needs to out of these initiatives, without your involvement and your ideas going forward. so thank you, mr. chairman, and the committee, there are a lot of -- mr. chairman, i -- when i

first came to washington and testified, i obviously was testifying as part of a group of people who came here to have their voices heard and that is, above all, what this place is about. so i respect, i think, the woman who was voicing her concerns about that part of the world and maybe some of you have traveled there. senator mccain, you were just there. you were in a refugee camp. i know you heard this kind of thing. people measure what we do. and in a way, that's a good explanation point to my testimony. mr. chairman, i know there's a lot of ground to cover and i know we do better when we're having good dialogue so i look forward to having that dialogue. >> thank you. we're going to break away. john kerry once chaired. he's now in the hot seat awaiting what many say will be an easy confirmation but it was a masterful handling of a

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